Bucket dredge



June 12, 1934. P. D. REIMEL ET AL BUCKET DREDGE Filed Oct. 2, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS PllReuneL O. J.Reinzel @M Q, wank ATTORNEY June 12, 1934. P. D. REIMEL ET AL BUCKET DREDGE Filed Oct. 2 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m a T M Mww m m A 1 M; .R D P0 Y B P. D. REIMEL El AL 1,962,363

June 12, 1934.

BUCKET DREDGE Filed Oct. 2, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 12, 1934- UNITED STATES BUCKET DREDGE Paul D.

Reimel and Oliver J. Reimel,

Sacramento, Calif.

Application October 2, 1933, Serial No. 691,830

Claims.

This invention relates to dredgers and particularly to that type of dredger used for placer mining in gravel pits and from stream bottoms though its use is not limited to such purposes. Dredgers of this character, such as are now used in gold mining in western States, are built to float directly on the water and this requires a considerable depth and area of water which is not usually naturally present and must be artificially created and maintained. This feature adds considerably to the expense of operation. It also of course necessitates the use of a well built and watertight hull on which the dredger mechanisms are supported. V "1 One object of our invention is to provide a dredge which avoids the necessityofhaving any appreciable amount of water present by the provisionof a novel means for movably supporting the dredge above the level of the material being dredged and as above indicated without relying on or necessitating any water for such support.

Our improved dredge is of the single scoop or bucket type and another objectof our invention is to provide a novel means for mounting and operating the bucket and for discharging the same when loaded in such a manner that a solid bottomed bucket may be used. This feature is also advantageous over the ordinary clam shell or similar type of bucket having a movable discharge bottom, in that it prevents any small particles of solid matter, which are those usually containing the previous metal, fromdropping out before they can be discharged into a hopper for concentration. 7 7

These objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. l is a front end view of our improved dredge.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the same taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic perspective view of the dredge frame showing the method of supporting the same from the banks of a stream.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the frame of the dredge comprises spaced base beams 1 which extend transversely of the bed or stream to be worked and at right angles to the direction of Uprights 2 project upwardly from the beams 1,

" movement of the dredge lengthwise of the stream.

being tied together at intervals by horizontal cross beams 3 so that the entire structure forms a rigid derrick.

The frame is disposed in suspended relation to the stream whose bed is to be dredged in the fol-- lowing manner, particular reference being had to Fig. 3. Extending lengthwise of the stream on both sides of and a suitable distance back from the banks 4 are heavy cables 5, anchored at both ends. Trolleys 6 engage and are movable along said cables. Cables 7 spaced the same as the beams 1 are connected at one end to one carriage and extend under the beams 1 toward the opposite trolley, being engaged by grooved wheels or rollers 8 on the beams 1. (See Fig. 1.) Beyond said beams l the cables '7 are attached to block and tackle devices 9 which are connected to the adjacent trolley. In this manner the tension on the cables 7 as well as on the cables 5 may be adjusted so as to properly support the dredge without undue sagging. The dredge frame is supported in suspended relation to the stream while being capable of movement along the cables 7 transversely of the stream, and lengthwise of the stream along the cables 5.

Bracing means forthe frame when set in any position lengthwise of the stream, to prevent the same from tipping, is provided in the form of balance or compensating cables 10. One of these cables is connected to the top of the derrick at 5 one front corner, and depends to a deadman pulley 11 mounted on the bank of the stream some distance ahead of the dredge and on the same side as said corner. This cable then passes over a pulley 12 mounted on the dredge base adja cent its front corner on the same side, then over and about a similar pulley 13 mounted on the base adjacent its rear opposite corner. From that point the cable passes to and about another deadman pulley 14 positioned rearwardly of the dredge and on the opposite shore, and then upwardly to the opposed rear top corner of the derrick. The other cable 10 is similarly rigged and is connected to the remaining top, front and rear corners of the derrick, passing over deadman pulleys 11a and 14a, and derrick pulleys 12a. and 13a corresponding in position but oppositely arranged to the first named set of pulleys. This arrangement, aswill be evident, braces the top of the derrick at all four corners without interfering with the movement of the same crosswise of the stream.

Disposed in front of the derrick centrally of its width is a spud 15. The lower end tip 16 of the spud is separate from the larger portion thereof and is swivelly connected to the adjacent end of said spud by swivel collars 1'7 which are held together by plates 18 which also serve as mudguards. The spud toward its upper end is slidably but non-turnably mounted in a sleeve 19 which in turn is turnably but non-slidably supported in a suitable bearing 20 secured on one of the front cross beams 3 of the derrick. The sleeve 19 is turned by suitable means, so as to also turn the spud, such as a gear 21 on said sleeve engaged by a pinion 22 whose shaft 23 extends to a suitable point of operation.

The spud is suspended from the top of the derrick by a block and tackle 24 whose fairlead extends to a drum 25 of a power hoist mounted on the derrick, preferably at the base.

Slidably and non-turnably mounted on the spud below the sleeve 19 is a collar 26 which has an arm 27 projecting therefrom and mounted thereon for vertical swivel movement, and on the outer end of which a bucket 28 is secured. This bucket is preferably rectangular in cross section but its ends curve to an apex so that it is of triangular form in side elevation. The bucket is suspended from the top of the derrick by a block and tack 29 connected to a bail 30 on the bucket. The fairlead from this block and tackle extends to another power hoist drum 31. To positively pull the collar 26 up and down on the spud a cable 32 is attached to the bottom of the same and depends to and about a pulley 33 fixed on the upper plate 18. The cable then extends upwardly to and about direction changing pulleys 34 mounted in a housing 35 on top of the 'spud (and to which the block and tackle 24 is connected) and thence down to another hoisting drum 36. Another cable 3'7 (or a continuation of the cable 32 from the opposite side of the said drum 36) extends from the hoist to and about other pulleys 38 in the housing 35 and then down to a connection with the top of the collar 26. The sets of pulleys 34 and 38 are arranged so that there is no danger of the cables becoming entangled, or jumping their respective pulleys, with the rotation of the spud and consequently the housing 35 through an arc of 180, which is the extreme limit of rotation.

To receive the contents of the bucket after the material has been dredged from the stream bed, we provide a cone-shaped hopper 39 which is mounted on the derrick in surrounding centralized relation to the spud adjacent the plane of the sleeve 19. This hopper is of such diameter at its rim that when the collar 26 is raised to a certain point and the bucket arm 2'? is swung upwardly to a certain angle and so that it overhangs the hopper, one end of said bucket will then have a downward slope toward the hopper, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the total discharge from the bucket is positive and rapid. A guard sleeve 40 fixed with the hopper centrally thereof surrounds the adjacent portion of the spud in clearance relation thereto with sufficient room to receive the cables 32 and 37, which extend down close to the spud. The material discharged into the hopper will thus not come in contact with the spud, the cables or the gear 21.

The back side of the hopper may discharge directly into a sluice box, screens etc. mounted on the derrick, or into a chute 41 leading transversely of the dredger toward the shore, as shown, so that the material may be treated in a shore plant, or deposited directly in a spoils area. The arrangement used in this respect will depend on conditions of operation and available facilities and in itself forms no part of our invention.

By reason of the particular mounting of the bucket, so that the collar 26 may be manipulated independently of the bucket itself, it will be seen that said bucket may be disposed at any suitable angle to a horizontal plane, so as to efficiently scoop a full load from the material being dredged.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A dredge including a frame having base members, elements extending parallel to and adjacent the members, means on the members engaging the elements and supporting the members from the elements for movement lengthwise thereof, and means supporting the elements at their ends for horizontal movement in a plane at right angles to their length.

2. A dredge including a frame having base members, elements extending parallel to and adjacent the members, beams on the members engaging the elements and supporting the members from the elements for movement lengthwise thereof, cables extending horizontally and at right angles to the length of the elements and. on substantially the same level as said elements, and trolleys riding on the cables and to which the ends of the elements are connected.

3. A dredge including a frame having base beams, cables extending parallel to and under the beams, rollers on the beams riding on the cables, substantially parallel horizontal cables anchored at their ends and extending at right angles to the first named cables, and trolleys to which the ends of said first named cables are secured engaging the second named cables.

4. A structure as in claim 3, with takeup means between one trolley and the adjacent ends of the first named cables to place all said cables under a predetermined tension.

'5. A dredge having a vertical derrick frame, flexible suspension elements on which the frame is supported in suspended relation to a stream bed for movement along said elements, balance cables connected to the top of the frame, and means mounting said cables in connection with the shore of the stream and with the frame adjacent its base to prevent tilting of the frame in any direction without interfering with its movement along the elements.

6. A dredge having a vertical derrick frame, flexible suspension elements on which the frame is supported in suspended relation to a stream bed for movement along said elements, a balance cable connected at its ends to diagonally opposed top corners of the frame, deadman shore pulleys offset from the frame both laterally and longitudinally thereof in corresponding relation to the f.

cable connected corners and about which the cable passes from said corners, pulleys on the corresponding corners of the frame adjacent its bottom over which the cable passes between the opposeddeadman pulleys, and a similarly but 11' oppositely mounted balance cable connected to the other top corners of the frame.

7. A dredge including a derrick frame, a spud mounted thereon for vertical movement, an arm mounted on and projecting from the spud, a bucket on the outer end of the arm, and means to move the arm up and down the spud.

8. A dredge including a derrick frame, a spud mounted thereon for vertical movement, an arm mounted on and projecting from the spud, a bucket on the outer end of the arm, means to move the arm up and down the spud, and means to move the spud vertically without correspondingly moving the arm and vice versa.

9. A dredge including a derrick frame, a spud mounted thereon for vertical movement, an arm mounted on and projecting from the spud, a bucket on the outer end of the arm, means to move the arm up and down the spud, and means to rotate the spud without interfering with its vertical movement.

10. A dredge including a derrick frame, a spud mounted thereon, a collar slidably and non-turnably mounted on the spud, an arm pivoted on and projecting from the collar for swinging movement in a vertical plane, a bucket on the outer end of the arm, means to raise and lower the collar on the spud, and independent means to swing the arm.

11. A device as in claim 10, with a hopper mounted on the frame in position to receive material from the bucket when the latter is raised and swung upwardly a certain distance.

12. A device as in claim 10, with means to turn the spud through a predetermined arc, and a circular hopper extending about and centered relative to the spud mounted on the frame in position to receive material from the bucket when the latter is raised and swung upwardly a certain dis-' tance and is in any turned position.

13. A dredge including a derrick frame, a spud mounted thereon, a collar slidably mounted on the spud, an arm connected to and projecting from the collar, a bucket on the outer end of the arm, means to raise andlower the collar and bucket, and means to rotate the spud.

14. A structure as in claim 9, with a hopper mounted on the frame and into which the bucket may be discharged when raised a predetermined distance and irrespective of the position of the bucket had by reason of a rotation of the spud.

15. A structure as in claim 7, in which said last named means comprises a sleeve through which said spud is slidable, means rotatably mounting said sleeve against axial movement on the frame,

and means applied to the sleeve to rotate the same.

PAUL D. REIMEL. OLIVER J. REIMEL. 

